Eternal Immortal Dynasty: Starting as a Petty Official

The sun was high in the sky, and there were few people walking on the country lanes.

Zhao Hong, carrying two pheasants, couldn't hide his excitement and kept talking to Zhao Xian along the way.

As for that minor unpleasantness in the morning, it had long since vanished due to his youthful habits.

Just then, several boys dressed in coarse cloth shorts walked towards them.

Seeing Zhao Hong carrying two pheasants, they were all filled with envy.

"Ah Hong, did you hunt this?"

One of the tall but thin boys raised his voice and asked.

His hair was loosely tied in a bun, making him look like a bamboo pole topped with a straw hat.

The group stared at the two pheasants, their mouths practically watering.

Pheasants may look plump, but they are mostly feathers with very little meat. The meat is also dry and not very tasty, and the soup has a muddy taste.

But it's still better than fermented soybeans and pickled vegetables. For ordinary villagers, hunting a pheasant is a treat.

"Ayan, it was hunted by my eldest brother!"

Zhao Hong straightened his chest, raised his head, and replied loudly.

"Ah Xian, the headmaster is giving a lesson today, aren't you going to the pavilion?"

The tall, thin boy called Ayan looked at Zhao Xian again and asked in confusion.

"Once I return home and put down my bow and arrows, I can present this pheasant to Lord Ting!"

Zhao Xian replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, the boys all glanced enviously at the bows and arrows in the brothers' hands.

A mulberry wood bow is worth at least 150 talisman coins in the market, and a quiver of feathered arrows costs 100 talisman coins.

As for the ox horn bow, it costs three to five hundred talisman coins, which is not something that ordinary Taoists can afford.

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, Zhao Xian and his companion parted ways with the boys and continued their journey towards Yangpingli.

The boys I just met were all Daoist citizens of the Great King's territory, and their families were quite wealthy, otherwise they wouldn't have gone to the pavilion to study.

After all, even the smallest tuition fee requires a low-grade spirit stone.

Of the six villages in Shanghuting, the most prosperous is Fanrongli, followed by Dawangli, and the poorest is Chunpingli.

Chunping Village has the largest population, with four or five hundred people. However, due to the presence of people of different surnames, the community is disunited.

In previous years, when people fought for water and land, four or five hundred people would set out together, making quite a show of force, but they were always routed by the Daoist people from Chang Gong Li and Da Wang Li.

Many people from Fanrongli traveled outside the village as merchants and peddlers. Zhao Xian's uncle Zhao Zhi and his elder brother Zhao Ji were among those who traveled with the merchant caravans from Fanrongli.

While they were pondering, the two brothers returned to Yangpingli.

The inner walls on both sides of the inner gate have been repaired and painted with white lime, making them look much cleaner.

Uncle Eleven from the inner gate saw Zhao Hong carrying two pheasants from afar. As the two brothers approached, he immediately smiled and praised them twice.

After saying a few modest words, Zhao Xian walked towards his home.

Back home, his mother, Zhao Xu, was delighted to see the two pheasants. The rice was already cooked, and Zhao Xian ate two full bowls with fermented soybeans and pickled vegetables.

There was still some spirit rice left in the earthenware pot, which Zhao Hong and Zhao Yu stared at eagerly.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Xian immediately scooped out all the food and divided it equally between the two men.

Like most Daoist people, his family only ate two meals a day, morning and evening. If it weren't for Tingjun's special instruction to Zhao Xian to have three meals a day, they would have had no idea what to eat for lunch.

This is why almost no one objected when Tingjun proposed a two-day training session with two meals provided on each training day.

In this world, these rural "Taoist people" are not much different from ordinary people in their previous lives; they cannot escape taxes and labor.

Only after entering the Dao can one be exempted from some ordinary land taxes.

As for exorbitant taxes and levies, they are not many—mainly because those high-ranking monks have long since abstained from grains and absorbed qi, no longer consuming worldly food.

What the Daoist people consider precious white rice is no different from dust to them.

After finishing her meal, Madam Zhao carefully took something out of her bosom and solemnly handed it to Zhao Xian.

A thumb-sized, crystal-clear low-grade spirit stone.

Zhao Xian's tuition was essentially waived by Tingjun, but his second brother, Zhao Hong, still needed to pay tuition if he wanted to study.

Aside from this spirit stone, the family's savings probably only consist of some loose change.

Even so, Zhao Xian's family was considered quite wealthy in Yangpingli.

Many Taoist priests, after paying their taxes, only had enough food left to eat, with no surplus wealth!

After carefully placing the jade close to his body, Zhao Xian, along with his second brother Zhao Hong, carrying a pheasant, headed towards the pavilion.

Of the five family members, only Zhao Xian and his younger sister Zhao Yu possessed low-grade spiritual roots.

However, whether one possesses spiritual roots or not does not preclude learning Daoist script—this is a script exclusively for cultivators, and its form and meaning have remained unchanged for thousands of years!

From Yangpingli to Tingshe, I encountered many boys of similar age who were all coming to Tingshe to study.

They playfully greeted each other and naturally formed a team.

Although Zhao Xian did not regain his memories of his past life when he was young, his mental capacity was superior to that of his peers, and his family also had decent food.

When he was a teenager, Zhao Xian had already beaten up most of the boys in the pavilion.

Last year, Zhao Xian practiced archery in the pavilion, demonstrating his impressive skills and once again earning the respect of the other young men in the pavilion.

Upon reaching the gate of the pavilion, several teenagers, including Zhao Hong, couldn't help but show some fear and hesitated to move forward.

Although the officials in the pavilions and shrines were the lowest-ranking officials, they were still paid by the government.

In this area of ​​Tingbu, he was usually quite powerful and enviable, and he also had the power to maintain order and apprehend thieves. How could ordinary young men not be afraid of him?

Knowing that the others were uneasy, Zhao Xian took out a low-grade spirit stone from his person and looked around at them.

"We have come to study under Master Ting, and we have brought our tuition fees!"

These words immediately eased the tension on the faces of the men. As the saying goes, officials don't punish those who give gifts, so why should they be afraid of them?

"Kuro's here~"

A shout came from inside the pavilion, and then a thin pavilion soldier came out; it was none other than Uncle Zhao Ze, the twelfth.

"Uncle Twelfth!"

Zhao Xian also smiled and bowed.

"Oh, Ahong's here too~"

"Greetings, Uncle Twelfth!"

Zhao Hong quickly followed his elder brother's example and bowed.

"This is~"

Zhao Ze's gaze fell on the pheasant that Zhao Hong was carrying.

"Uncle Twelfth, Ah Hong and I studied together, and today I was lucky enough to shoot a pheasant. I'm presenting it to you, Tingjun, as a small token of my appreciation!"

As Zhao Xian spoke, he waved the spirit stone in his hand again.

The pheasant's tail feathers were beautiful, and the spirit stones were genuine.

Zhao Ze nodded slightly, not because of the pheasant, but to praise Zhao Xian's thoughtfulness.

Tingjun values ​​Zhao Xian's exemption from tuition fees, but he will not exempt Zhao Hong.

Zhao Xianneng's willingness to pay made Zhao Ze even more satisfied with this nephew.

"Hurry up and go inside!"

Zhao Ze called out and then turned back to the pavilion. Zhao Xian immediately led the several boys behind him into the pavilion.

The pavilion has two courtyards, with the front courtyard serving as a resting place for the pavilion officials and the back courtyard for lodging travelers, officials, and the pavilion head.

Chen Yuancheng naturally taught the Daoist texts in the front courtyard.

As for occupying the pavilions and resting places of the officials, it's not for nothing; they'll receive spirit stones as a reward!

Zhao Ze led them into the left wing room, where Chen Yuancheng had not yet arrived.

There was a small table in front of them, on which was a large pile of bright yellow talisman coins, and next to it was a small pile of spirit stones that emitted a soft glow.

Behind the desk sat a burly man, none other than King Jia, the Thief Seeker.

Dao Min's family didn't have much money left, and very few of them had low-grade spirit stones. Most of the teenagers paid a hundred talisman coins.

"Kuro's here~"

When Wang Jia saw Zhao Xian arrive, he greeted him with a smile.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Zhao Xian quickly bowed, then placed the low-grade spirit stone on the table and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, this is my brother Zhao Hong's tuition fee!"

"Oh, why be so polite? I'll talk to Mr. Ting and we can skip it!"

As Wang Jia spoke, he deftly gathered the low-grade spirit stones into a small pile.

"Lord Ting is kind enough to exempt Zhao Xian from tuition fees; that is already a great favor. How could I dare to ask for an exemption for my brother as well!"

Zhao Xian replied respectfully, then added with a smile, "Your Majesty, please continue with your duties. My brother and I will go inside and wait!"

After saying that, he gestured for Zhao Hong to hand the pheasant to Zhao Ze, and then went inside.

Wang Jia stared at Zhao Xian's retreating figure with a complex expression, muttering to himself, "Where did that brute Zhao Yi get such a fine seed!"

There were about twenty teenagers scattered around inside, mostly around fourteen or fifteen years old, with a few a little older.

Including Zhao Xian and the others, there should be thirty people.

The group of kings we encountered earlier were also waiting here early on.

The pavilion's father, Liu Quan, was a kind old man. Fearing that the boys might be thirsty, he specially prepared a jar of cool water for them to quench their thirst.

Zhao Xian greeted the familiar young man and then casually found a spot where there were no tables or chairs, so everyone had to stand.

After waiting for about half an hour, Chen Yuancheng finally arrived late and entered the house.

"Greetings, Mr. Ting!"

The young men all bowed and greeted the young men.

"Please rise, gentlemen!"

Chen Yuancheng spoke gently, and the young men naturally stood up.

"From this day forward, I will instruct you all in the Daoist scriptures!" Chen Yuancheng's gaze swept over the crowd, his voice clear and resonant. "I hope you will all diligently study and not disappoint the earnest expectations of your elders!"